


Crushes, Capitalism, and Confidence

by Ebony10



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: F/M, MJ throws shade on valentine's day, Valentine's Day Fluff, but lumpia is worth it, matchmaking mj and peter, what is Valentine's day even
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22854199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ebony10/pseuds/Ebony10
Summary: Valentine's Day and love as chaotic good (neutral)? Just a small oneshot about Peter navigating the capitalistic holiday of love with a crush on MJ...with unexpected good results for Ned Leeds as a bonus.
Relationships: Betty Brant/Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker
Comments: 10
Kudos: 71





	Crushes, Capitalism, and Confidence

**Author's Note:**

> First Spideychelle fanfic ever! Thank you, shouldhaveknownbetter, for encouraging me to not only write, but also post! <3

“Okay, Ned, look, she’s right there,” Peter rushed out breathlessly. His best friend turned, curious, only to jump in surprise when Peter yelped. “Wait, no, don’t _look_!”

Rolling his eyes and sighing, Ned went back to eating his lunch. “Dude, you literally just told me to look. You need to chill a little, Peter. Find your inner peace.”

Peter scoffed, momentarily distracted from Michelle Jones’ approach. “Says the guy who nearly hyperventilated yesterday because Betty said hi to you in the hall.”

Ned’s eyes automatically sought out Betty in the lunchroom, as if out of his control. “Okay, maybe love is chaotic…chaotic neutral?”

Peter looked at Ned, musing. “Or would it be chaotic good? Like ‘cause love, you know?”

“I don’t know…love can be great and all, but also love is pain,” Ned’s brow furrowed.

Suddenly, a banging sound a few seats down made the two of them nearly fall off their seats. Michelle snickered, a hand on either side of her lunch tray as she slid onto the seat. “Hey, losers.”

“Oh, um, hey, MJ,” Peter said, flustered. Having regained his equilibrium, Ned nodded toward her.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, MJ,” he said. He held up a Tupperware container. “Want a lumpia my mom made?”

“Ned, I’m sure MJ doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day,” Peter said, elbowing his friend. MJ raised an eyebrow, expression otherwise unchanging as Peter nervously ran a hand through his hair. “Um…do you?”

“You’re asking if I celebrate a holiday that has roots dating back to when Roman men would run around and assault women with animal skin thongs under the guise of increasing their fertility?”

“Oh, um, no. No, of course not—”

“A day that is steeped in the history of the Christian church, which itself has supported unjust systems such as colonialism under the guise of providing salvation to the alleged uncivilized?”

Ned picked up a lumpia, biting into it and watching the exchange as if at a tennis match. MJ volleys.

“Right, right—”

Peter swung. Missed. Ned’s gaze returned to MJ, taking yet another bite.

“An event that includes a lead-up during which capitalistic companies try to peddle slave-labor chocolates, out-of-season flowers, and superficial standards of relationships?”

Peter was silent for a minute, not wanting to try to insert his comments and inadvertently interrupt her. Out of nowhere, MJ grinned and leaned forward to snag one of Ned’s lumpia.

“If it gets me homemade lumpia, hell yes I’ll celebrate it.”

Ned and MJ casually fist-bumped and Peter scowled. “You’re just saying that to be contrary.”

Michelle got deathly serious, leaning on one elbow and staring directly into Peter’s eyes. He felt his heart rate kick up. “Am I?”

Ned was currently back to absently looking at Betty, ignoring Peter’s heart palpitations over serious one-on-one eye contact with his crush. “Well, it would be good if you’re into Valentine’s Day cause Pete’s dying to get you something.”

Peter started choking on something—air?? Is it possible to be _that_ clumsy?—and Ned seemed to realize what he had just let slip. He patted Peter on the back, trying to help him recover. “I mean, not that Peter would get you something. Why would he do that?”

Peter groaned almost inaudibly while still trying to regain control of his lungs and Ned’s nervous laughter trailed off as his words sunk in. “Not that people wouldn’t want to give you a Valentine. I’m sure people totally would. Like why wouldn’t Pete—I mean, _anyone_ —be interested in a badass like you, amirite?”

MJ finished off the lumpia. “Don’t hurt yourself with those verbal gymnastics, Leeds.”

Peter nodded a little frantically, still wheezing slightly. “Yeah, Ned, I think we’re good here.”

Ned winked and mouthed, “ _Got your back, buddy._ ”

“Betty!” Ned jumped violently as MJ called out across the cafeteria. “Come here!”

“Oh my god, MJ, you _wouldn’t_ ,” Ned whisper-yelled as Betty made her way to their table, blond hair shining from the light through the windows.

“Wouldn’t I?” MJ smirked before she turned to greet her classmate. Peter watched the tableau play out, glad that it wasn’t centered on his own embarrassment for once. “Hey, Betty. Nice segment yesterday on rising numbers of students with depression and its link with the common core curriculum.”

“Thanks, Michelle,” Betty smiled happily. “I wasn’t sure if I spent enough time outlining the peer-reviewed studies. I hope the point came across okay.”

“Eh, not like the students here are fact-checking you.” MJ paused. “Well, except maybe me. But anyway, it was solid work.”

“I’m glad,” Betty gushed as she sank into the seat across from MJ.

“Speaking of solid work,” MJ segued, voice bored. “Leeds down there has been glued to your segments lately so you must be on a roll.”

Ned’s cheeks flushed a bit as he smiled and shrugged, accepting the truth of his interest in Betty with good grace. Peter, seeing his own opportunity to support his best friend, jumped in. “Yes, Ned loves to watch you—er, your show.”

MJ rolled her eyes at Peter’s slight slip, then winked at him (Peter firmly told his heart to stop thumping) and tapped a finger musingly against her lips. “And he was _just_ saying that Valentine’s Day is a great day to acknowledge the contributions of strong women—what was the term you used, Ned? Badass?” 

“Um, eh…” Ned chuckled nervously. 

Peter nodded vigorously. “Yes, that’s the term.”

Betty looked interested, smiling across the table.

“Really?”

Ned seemed to shake himself out of his stupor and with a sudden confidence that stunned Peter slightly, he nodded. “Yes. I think you’re great, Betty. So smart and confident. If you’re free tonight, I’d love to take you to the slam poetry performances at the coffeeshop down the street.”

Peter gaped. Did Ned (his partner in pining after crushes) just make a move on Betty? His head swiveled to see her reaction. Was she… _blushing_? The indomitable Betty Brant?

“I’d like that, actually,” she responded, her eyes crinkling with an added warmth.

MJ stood. “Well, my work here is done. Parker, follow me.”

And then she was striding toward the door, dumping her tray off on the collection stand as she passed it. Furrowing his brow in confusion, Peter grabbed his backpack and rushed after her. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Ned barely noticed his absence. He grinned, happy for his friend’s romantic success. Chaotic good?

Looking back to MJ ahead of him, he picked up his pace. Ugh, why were her legs so long?

He was momentarily distracted as he glanced down at said legs. Nevermind. No complaints. Everything about her was perfect. Better than perfect.

She led him to one of the library’s study rooms, which was luckily empty. Dumping her bag on the table and slouching into one of the chairs, she kicked her feet up onto the table in relaxation. He stood hesitantly at the door. Why was he here?

She reached out for a book that was peeking out of her messenger bag. Flipping through the pages, she spoke. “Chill, Parker. Just thought it would be best to give them some alone time to work out the details.”

“Yeah, of course. Good idea,” Peter said. His gaze took in all the chairs around the table, then he took a deep breath and with (perhaps slightly faked—he was _Spider-Man_ , he could do this) confidence sat in the chair directly next to her, pulling out some homework. Better get started on it now since he had patrol after school.

They sat in silence for fifteen minutes, her reading while he slogged through pre-calc. He glanced over at her between problems, loving how her curls hung slightly in her face and her eyes narrowed at the words on the page in front of her. This was…nice. Relaxing. They should do this more often.

“We should do this more often.”

Oops. He definitely just said that out loud.

Her eyes flicked up, then back to her book. “Do what? Wingman for Ned?”

He smiled at her and sensing it, she looked back up at him. She seemed slightly flustered at the sight of his expression, which was unlike her. “No. Hang out. You and me. We hardly ever do this. I like it.”

MJ seemed to struggle with herself for a minute. “I…like it, too.”

His smile turned into a grin as he beamed at her. She shifted, her discomfort over acknowledging feelings out loud practically palpable.

“Your existence is palatable enough for me to deal with while I read,” she added, trying to regain her cool exterior. His eyes sparkled at her. He knew her well enough by now to know that behind her front, she really was enjoying this quiet time with him. He dug in his bag.

“Since you didn’t mind the lumpia, maybe you’d be cool with this?” He slid a chocolate bar that had a valentine tied to it with a ribbon over to her on the table. MJ dropped her feet to the ground and sat up. Picking up his offering, she read the small valentine first. Peter could see that she wanted to smile, but was ruthlessly scrunching up her mouth to keep it at bay.

The card read “You R2 awesome” around a cute drawing of R2D2. Untying the ribbon, she got a full look at the chocolate bar and hesitated, surprised eyes peeking up at him through her fringe. She cleared her throat. “It’s fair trade chocolate.”

“Well, couldn’t get you slave-labor chocolates, right?” He joked. She let her small smile surface.

“Thanks.” Reassuming her neutral expression, she added. “Nerd.”

He gave a shrug that seemed to simultaneously say ‘you’re welcome’ and ‘eh, can’t help it’ and returned his attention to his homework. Getting back to her book, she turned a page. A few moments later, her voice sounded once more.

“Parker, you busy tomorrow?”

Well…there was the whole Spider-Man thing that he normally did on Saturdays…he studied MJ. Was she a little tense?

“No. Not busy at all,” he said eagerly. Eh, he could work around her schedule. The neighborhood didn’t need him every minute, right?

MJ seemed to relax a little at his tone, a side of her mouth quirking up. “Good. Wanna go get a bunch of Valentine’s Day candy super discounted and gorge ourselves while having a black comedy movie marathon?”

Was there anything he’d want more?? His whole body practically vibrated with happiness. Peter gripped his pencil so hard he worried he might break it. He tried to sound casual and cool. “Sure.”

His knuckles were turning white. He cleared his throat, remembering Ned’s confidence earlier, then continued. “It’s a date.”

She turned a page, face amused. “I’m aware, Peter. That was my intention.”

While he became frozen in shock, MJ looked up at him and let loose a full-on grin. They didn’t happen very often (ever?) so Peter’s paralysis was prolonged with the sight. She appeared on the verge of laughing and he held his breath. Today was seriously turning out far better than he could have envisioned.

In fact, he would never have thought he’d get to spend time alone with MJ on Valentine’s Day, let alone somehow stumbling into a date with her. She nudged his arm with her elbow. “You don’t think I put my money into capitalistic Valentine’s endeavors, even heavily discounted, for just anyone, do you?”


End file.
